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City solves boulevard of broken dreams

An encroaching situation has turned into a pitch for City property for one Second Avenue resident.

An encroaching situation has turned into a pitch for City property for one Second Avenue resident.

With garage façade encroaching seven feet (2.1 metres) beyond the front property line of 1958 Second Ave. and onto the City’s boulevard. The homeowner has applied to the City for a development variance permit, road closure and sale of the 354-square-foot portion to rectify the circumstance.

However, the affair provoked the ire of City councillor Cary Fisher. He felt the matter would be different if the structure was grandfathered in and had been crossing somebody’s lot line or on City property for a substantial number of years.

But it was a fairly recent building, he noted, and wondered if it was the City’s fault for not noticing the situation sooner and acting to prevent it.

“I don’t see anywhere that says we’re not going to let that happen again,” he said. “This one was just done. Is it our bad and now we just have to fix it?”

Councillor Kathy Moore thought it was the City’s fault.

Council voted to advance the City staff request to conduct a sale of the City-owned boulevard to the property owner and follow the process for disposal of the lands as defined in the Community Charter. First and second reading of the road closure was moved and carried by council.

With average assessed land value of surrounding properties set at $147.37 per square metre, the proposed sale would generate roughly $4,848.47 for the City, with the property owner covering transaction, survey and registration costs.